This invention relates to improvements in an axe, and more particularly, to a wood splitting axe which facilitates splitting of wood along the grain.
There are a number of axes available for the splitting of wood, some of which have a single edge extending to one side of the axe head and an anvil or hammer portion extending to the other side thereof. Such prior axes are usually symmetric about a plane bisecting the axe handle opening in the axe head and extending parallel to the swing of the axe so that, upon impact, the full force of the weight of the axe exerts a downwardly directed force for a deep bite to facilitate the splitting of the wood. Also, the intersecting faces which form the splitting edge make an angle with one another to form a fairly wide wedge to assist in the splitting of the wood along the grain. These faces are again symmetric with respect to the swing plane.
An analysis of such prior are splitting axes discloses that the splitting edge lies in a plane containing the center of gravity of the axe head so that, upon impact, the handle does not turn in the hands of the splitter. This quality of an axe also is referred to as balance and is most valued as giving a good feel.
One of the problems encountered with these prior art splitting axes is that they bite into the wood and facilitate the prying apart of the wood only by the taper or wedge of the blade. The wider the blade, the more is the splitting force but opposing this effect is the fact that a thick blade does not bite deep. Therefore, a compromise has to be struck between a thick wedge for maximum splitting action and a thin wedge for maximum penetration. Additionally, such prior art axes have a tendency to stick into the wood unless the wood splits, and that to unstick the axe; it has to be wiggled or a hammer has to be used on the anvil to drive the axe downward into splitting the wood.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an axe which, immediately after impact, rotates to pry apart the wood into which the edge bit.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a splitting axe which includes a stop means to stop the downward motion of the axe head and to convert the remaining force into rotary motion after the axe head to split the wood.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a splitting axe in which the center of gravity is offset from the plane in which the edge lies to allow, immediately after impact, a rotary torque to turn the axe head to facilitate splitting.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an axe which has a blade shaped to prevent sticking, and to grasp the wood for prying.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an axe head which is more efficient in splitting wood than axe heads heretofor known and which split by axe head rotation rather than by wedging.